शं नो द्यावापृथिवी पूर्वहूतौ शमन्तरिक्षं दृशये नो अस्तु। शं न ओषधीर्वनिनो भवन्तु शं नो रजसस्पतिरस्तु जिष्णुः॥
śaṁ no dyāvāpṛthivī pūrvahūtau śam antarikṣaṁ dṛśaye no astu । śaṁ na oṣadhīr vanino bhavantu śaṁ no rajasas patir astu jiṣṇuḥ ॥
PM's MessageRespect for nature, the environment, and the whole of creation lies at the heart of our existence. Let us participate in building a healthy, prosperous, and strong nation with complete gratitude and a spirit of service toward them.
Meaning of Śaṁ No Dyāvāpṛthivī Pūrvahūtau
May Dyuloka and the Earth, which have been revered since the beginning of creation, always be auspicious for us. May the intermediate space between the Earth and the Sun be beneficial and enlightening for our lives. May all medicinal herbs and forest plants provide us with health, nourishment, and happiness. May the all-pervading and victorious Lord of all worlds ever grant us welfare, peace and prosperity.
Word by word
- शम् नःśaṁ naḥ
peace to us
√शम्
- द्यावापृथिवीdyāvāpṛthivī
heaven and earth
दिव् + पृथिवी
- पूर्वहूतौpūrvahūtau
the two invoked first or foremost
पूर्व + √हू
- शम् अन्तरिक्षम्śam antarikṣam
peaceful the mid-space
अन्तरिक्ष
- दृशयेdṛśaye
for our seeing
√दृश्
- नः अस्तुno astu
be for us
√अस्
- ओषधीःoṣadhīḥ
the herbs
ओषधि
- वनिनःvaninaḥ
the forest trees
वन
- भवन्तुbhavantu
may they be
√भू
- रजसः पतिःrajasas patiḥ
the lord of the region
रजस् + पति
- अस्तु जिष्णुःastu jiṣṇuḥ
may the victorious one be
√जि
Commentary
The mantra repeatedly uses śam, a compact Vedic word for well-being and auspiciousness. It first invokes dyāvāpṛthivī, heaven and earth as a dual pair described by pūrvahūtau, ‘the two invoked first or foremost.’ The supplied meaning’s ‘revered since the beginning of creation’ is an interpretive expansion, not the literal value of this dual adjective. The mantra then asks that the mid-space be favourable to our sight and that herbs and forest trees bring well-being. The final invocation turns to the victorious lord of rajas, the luminous or atmospheric region. By addressing cosmic regions, plants, trees, and a divine ruling power through the same recurring prayer for śam, the verse gathers them into one field of welfare. Gratitude, service toward nature, health, prosperity, and collective strength are the post’s contemporary application of that vision rather than a word-for-word rendering.
Sources and textual variants
Original Post
More from Rigveda
View source pageसुत्रामाणं पृथिवीं द्यामनेहसं सुशर्माणमदितिं सुप्रणीतिम् । दैवीं नावं स्वरित्रामनागसो अस्रवन्तीमा रुहेमा स्वस्तये॥
sutrāmāṇaṃ pṛthivīṃ dyām anehasaṃ suśarmāṇam aditiṃ supraṇītim । daivīṃ nāvaṃ svaritrām anāgaso asravantīm ā ruhemā svastaye ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra envisions earth, heaven and Aditi as a secure divine boat that carries people toward well-being.
सहृदयं सांमनस्यमविद्वेषं कृणोमि वः। अन्यो अन्यमभि हर्यत वत्सं जातमिवाघ्न्या॥
sahṛdayaṁ sāṃmanasyam avidveṣaṁ kṛṇomi vaḥ । anyo anyam abhi haryata vatsaṁ jātam ivāghnyā ॥
An Atharvaveda mantra calls people to shared feeling, concord and freedom from hatred, with a cow's tenderness for her newborn calf as its model.
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः। स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु॥
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ । svasti nas tārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ svasti no bṛhaspatir dadhātu ॥
A Rigveda svasti mantra in which Indra, Pushan, Tarkshya and Brihaspati are each asked to bestow well-being upon us.
More subhashitams on Nature
View topic pageदेव्या यया ततमिदं जगदात्मशक्त्या निश्शेषदेवगणशक्तिसमूहमूर्त्या। तामम्बिकामखिलदेवमहर्षिपूज्यां भक्त्या नताः स्म विदधातु शुभानि सा नः॥
devyā yayā tatamidaṃ jagadātmaśaktyā niśśeṣadevagaṇaśaktisamūhamūrtyā । tāmambikāmakhiladevamaharṣipūjyāṃ bhaktyā natāḥ sma vidadhātu śubhāni sā naḥ ॥
A prayer from Devi Mahatmyam to Ambika, who pervades the world and embodies all divine powers, asking for blessings for everyone.
सुखोपविष्टास्ते तत्र पुण्यां चक्रुः कथामिमाम्। धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणामारोग्यं मूलमुत्तमम्॥
sukhopaviṣṭās te tatra puṇyāṃ cakruḥ kathām imām । dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇām ārogyaṃ mūlam uttamam ॥
Charaka Samhita presents good health as the foremost foundation for pursuing dharma, prosperity, desire and liberation.
हिताहितं सुखं दुःखमायुस्तस्य हिताहितम्। मानं च तच्च यत्रोक्तमायुर्वेदः स उच्यते॥
hitāhitaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkham āyus tasya hitāhitam । mānaṃ ca tac ca yatroktam āyurvedaḥ sa ucyate ॥
Charaka Samhita defines Ayurveda through beneficial and harmful, happy and unhappy forms of life and the measure of lifespan.